Almost Over
by CHLOROM3THAN3
Summary: Gakuto's world has ultimately come to an end when Oshitari leaves him for tennis.  Is he willing to try face Oshitari one more time, to try and get him to come back? [Sequel to: Shattering World, by AnuneFan412]
1. Chapter 1

**Almost Over  
**_Sequel to :: Shattering World, by AnuneFan412_

**Summary:** Gakuto's world has ultimately come to an end when Oshitari leaves him for tennis. It's three months until the end of the school year, three months before Gakuto graduates, and goes onto High School. Gakuto resolves to make a last-ditch effort, and tries to make Oshitari return to Hyoutei, even if only for a little while. (Sequel to: Shattering World, by AnuneFan412)

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis is not owned by me. Neither is the original plot for this story. I'm simply continuing it, with my own ideas.

* * *

_**"Team Takes Australian Open by Storm"**_

Those six words replayed themselves like a broken record in Mukahi Gakuto's mind a thousand times over as he stared - in some form of horror - at the large, bold title that was practically laughing at him from the shelves of the newspaper stand. Gakuto didn't need to read the article to know what team had won. He knew, in his heart, that it was the team with Hyoutei's former tensai. The tensai that had ultimately crused the acrobatic player's heart, and spirit: Oshitari Yuushi

Gakuto had neither forgiven, nor not forgiven Oshitari. He didn't know what to do. His final moments with Oshitari constantly occupied his mind both while he was awake, and in his sleep. The red-head didn't know what he felt for Oshitari anymore. Did he still love Oshitari? He couldn't tell. Did he hate the boy? He couldn't tell. Did he care about his former doubles parter at all? He couldn't tell. All he knew was that he missed his friend/partner/lover. What were they, to each other, anyway? Gakuto was sure he had loved Oshitari. But, what was he to Oshitari? Was he always just some_ thing_ that could be disposed of?

Tennis was the one thing Gakuto bothered to cling to, even if his skill was slipping, and he was getting gradually worse every week. Since he'd returned from Australia, Mukahi had slowly let go of everything. He'd gone into a state where nothing mattered. Tennis was the one thing he knew he still had in common with Oshitari, which was why it was one of the only things he stuck to. It was the one thing that let him think he was still, somehow, close to Oshitari, despite what they'd been through.

The whole team noticed his lack of ability, or, _growing_ lack of ability. But, not even Atobe had the heart to kick Gakuto from the team. The poor boy had already lost the one person he loved, and the only thing that kept him from being suicidal was tennis. Even if it was the very sport he'd lost Oshitari to.

* * *

_"Gakuto, I only care for tennis now, you know."_

_"But we can still play doubles!" Mukahi was being stubborn, he knew. But he couldn't help it._

_"Gakuto, no." Oshitari was shaking his head. "It wouldn't work, and you know it."_

_Mukahi was silent. _

_"I only care about tennis. That's it."_

"No... No... Yuushi... It's not true... Please... Don't say that..."

_"I only care about tennis. That's it."_

"But, doubles is tennis, Yuushi. We could play doubles together."

_"It wouldn't work out, and you know it. I don't love you anymore."_

"You don't have to love me like before. Just, don't go... We don't have to be the best, don't go... Please, Yuushi... Don't leave me like this... Yuushi... _Yuushi_!" White sheets were thrown onto the floor as a very frightened looking boy sat up in his bed. His face was pale, and beads of sweat rand down his cheeks. Wide-eyed, he looked around. He was in his room. He wasn't in Australia. He wasn't in Australia. _He wasn't in Australia._

Gakuto turned his head to his nightstand. On top of it was a clock, a lamp, a phone, and a picture frame turned face-down, so the photo wasn't visible. The clock read, '5:00am'. Although Mukahi hardly registered that in his head as he absentmindedly called one of his teammates.

"Ungh... Hello?"

"Yuushi's gone. He's never coming back."

"Gakuto?"

"He doesn't love me anymore."

Silence.

"Do you think he's happy in Australia? Do you think he misses me, at all?"

"Gakuto, do you know what time it is?" The calm voice of Ootori Choutarou wafted through the phone. By now, most of the team was used to Mukahi's spontaneous calls early in the morning when he had nightmares about 'the incident.' Gakuto always said the same thing. He always muttered about Oshitari being gone, and asked about whether or not the person on the other line thought that Oshitari was happy or not. And they almost always replied in the exact same way.

"No." Was Gakuto's response, even though the boy was sitting in front of his clock.

"I think you should get more sleep, senpai, or you won't have enough energy for practice today."

"Alright." Gakuto hung up, grabbed one of the pillows on his bed, hugged it tightly, shoved his face into it, and cried. He cried himself back to sleep, only to wake up an hour later in order to get ready.

* * *

"Oi, Gakuto, come here." The commanding tone of Atobe Keigo's voice could be clearly heard throughout the tennis courts. Gakuto, who had just run ten laps without complaint, obliged. 

"What, buchou?"

"Do you want Oshitari to come back?" Gakuto, who normally showed no emotion these days, looked in wide-eyed shock at his captain. What was Atobe saying?

"Ah... Sumimasen, buchou, but, what do you mean? Yuushi's gone. Gone forever." Mukahi said the last two sentances softly, trying to make himself believe that it wasn't true.

"Oshitari isn't dead, Gakuto. He can come back. You just have to make him. Give him reason to come back." Atobe looked sternly down at Gakuto. He was sick and tired of how Gakuto was acting since he came back from Australia. Atobe knew he couldn't kick Gakuto off the team, without the acrobatic player considering suicide, but he could motivate the red-head to get Oshitari back.

"Will he come back, buchou? Do you really think so?"

"Yes, I really think so." Atobe replied lamely.

Gakuto remembered that the Australian Open was over. It couldn't be all that hard to get him to come back, could it? For the first time in months Mukahi smiled. Maybe, maybe there was a small ray of hope in all of this darkness. Maybe Oshitari wanted to come back, even if it were only for a week or two.

"Arigatou, buchou." And with that, Mukahi ran home to start packing. As painful as it would feel, Mukahi was ready to go and get back his doubles partner. Whatever it took.

* * *

**Author's Note:** This could actually hardly be considered a chapter. More like the intro the story, since I'm basically setting up his personality, relationships, and how emotionally scarred Gakuto is. Next chapter might have some similar stuff, too... Oh, just so you know, Gakuto can't control his emotions. If he thinks about Yuushi too much, he'll cry, just like he did after he hung up the phone. 

All the lines in Mukahi's dream are little snippets from chapters 1 & 4 of _Shattering World_. Also, I don't know why Atobe is so out of character during a couple parts. Apologies. Added, I also apologize for the lame title. It's the first thing that came to mind when I thought of what this story would be about.

Also, I please forgive me for any mistakes. Since I wrote this while waiting for the lunar eclipse on 8/27, I was very sleepy while writing. Please point out any, and all mistakes.

&& I know that I'm a really slow updater, but I've set a deadline for myself. All stories will be updated at _the least _once every 2 weeks. Probably more depending on how much time I have. Maybe less if I have writers block. Who knows? Though I think I'll actually be able to stick to 1 every week, I can't make any promises, so I've settled on minimum once every 2 weeks.

Oh, I bet you all know what the face-down picture was, right? Try guess, just for the heck of it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Almost Over  
**_Sequel to :: Shattering World, by AnuneFan412  
_Chapter 2

**Summary:** Gakuto's world has ultimately come to an end when Oshitari leaves him for tennis. It's three months until the end of the school year, three months before Gakuto graduates, and goes onto High School. Gakuto resolves to make a last-ditch effort, and tries to make Oshitari return to Hyoutei, even if only for a little while. (Sequel to: Shattering World, by AnuneFan412)

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis is not owned by me. Neither is the original plot for this story. I'm simply continuing it, with my own ideas.

**This chapter's mostly filler, and a little lame. Forgive me. D:  
**

* * *

_What am I doing here?_

_Why did I bother to come here again?_

_Will this even work?_

Gakuto couldn't move. He felt as if he'd lost all control over his body. He wanted to stand up, leave, go back home. But, something inside of him prevented him from grabbing his bags and leaving. Something told him he needed to be here, it wasn't his time to go back.

Looking out of the glass doors leading out the balcony, Mukahi sighed and looked down, away from the scenery outside. It was too happy. The bright, flawless blue sky, pure white clouds, and warm, welcoming sun; _just too happy_. It didn't match how he felt right now. He was back in Australia, somewhere completely unfamiliar to him, just so he could chase after his former teammate.

Why, _why_ was he doing this again? Why was he risking feeling the pain, suffering, _anguish_ all over again?

_Oh, yeah._

Mukahi looked back up, absentmindedly staring out into the distance.

_I, I_…

It almost hurt to say the words, even if they were only in his mind.

_I miss him._

He closed his eyes, and wiped away the few tears that were forming with his forearm.

_More than anything, I miss you, Yuushi._

It didn't hurt to know that he missed his doubles partner. No, not at all. It actually made him feel good, knowing that he cared about Oshitari. What hurt was the knowledge that Oshitari probably didn't miss him back. It hurt knowing that the feelings were no longer mutual. It hurt, thinking about what Oshitari probably thought about him now.

But, right now, Gakuto threw all of that away. He didn't think about what hurt, he just wanted to give it one more shot. It didn't matter if he made a fool of himself again, all that mattered was getting Oshitari back.

* * *

Mukahi sat miserably in the middle of a vacant court. The minute he stepped out of the hotel he was staying at, he didn't know where to go. Australia was a big place, how on earth would he find Oshitari in Australia, he didn't even know where Oshitari went to school. Unsure of what to do, he very slowly made his way to the courts that he – by some absurd chance – had found Oshitari at, the last time he had chased after Yuushi. But, the boy wasn't there. Of course he wasn't there. What were the chances of finding Oshitari at some random tennis court? One in what, a hundred, a thousand, a million? 

His thoughts were then interrupted.

"What are you doing here, again?"

"Atobe told me to give it another try."

"Really, now?"

"Ye-" Wait. The voice was, so… So… Familiar. His heart fluttered as his mind registered the kansai accent that was so soothing to Gakuto. He looked up, only to face the one person who occupied his thought every single day since, forever. "Yuushi…"

Oshitari smirked, "So, you're back, again, eh? What do you want this time?" the boy was amused. His former partner was back in Australia. It wasn't quite something to celebrate, but it was interesting.

"Yuushi… I just thought that… Since the Australian Open is over…"

"Oh, you've heard about it?"

"Yes…" Mukahi replied miserably. "But, since it's over, I thought that, maybe you could, you know, come back, to Hyoutei… And play tennis with me… Again…" Gakuto couldn't bear to face Oshitari as he spoke. He knew Oshitari thought that it was a stupid idea.

"Why would I go back to Japan?" The taller boy questioned.

"Because, you only came here for the Open, right? But now it's over, so, you could come back… Right? There's no other reason for you to stay here…"

"Oh, but there is."

"Huh?" The red-head looked up in shock. Why would Oshitari want to stay here? The tennis tournament was over. Unless… No, he couldn't have. No… Could he?

"Yuu-chan! Yuu-chan!" A shrill, female voice could be heard from a couple hundred feet away. The voice had an Australian accent, and it didn't sound right, to Gakuto, to hear an Australian _girl_ call Oshitari, 'Yuu-chan.' That name used to be _his_ name for Yuushi… Now that was taken from him, too.

The female ran up to Oshitari, and flung her arms around his waist as she reached him. She snuggled her face into his chest, and said something that was muffled by Oshitari's shirt. The girl was a bit short, had dirty blonde hair, a small, round face, and very nice legs. Gakuto glared at her, she didn't belong with him. The acrobatic player couldn't control his feelings towards the stranger, he just hated her. He knew nothing about her, yet hated everything about her.

He hated her tanned skin.

He hated her high voice.

He hated her Australian accent.

He hated her clothes.

He hated the loving eyes she had directed at Yuushi.

He hated those eyes even more when her gaze had shifted to him.

"Yuushi, who's that?"

He hated her pointing at him.

He hated the way she said his name with a bad accent.

"My old teammate."

"Oh. Nice to meet you!"

He hated her kindness towards him.

He hated her sticking out her hand for him to shake it.

He hated the silly pout she had on her face when he made no move to take her hand.

"He's not very social, is he, Yuushi?"

"No. Let's go now, _koishii_(1)."

"Yuushi…" He reached out his hand for Oshitari, but the he was gone, and so was the girl. All Gakuto could see were two people walking further away from him. Further, and further away.

Why? Why? _Why?_

Had he lost before it even started? Did Oshitari truly love the girl?

Paralyzed, he continued to sit on the tennis courts. Mukahi didn't move. The more he stayed in Australia, the more his heart seemed to break. Was it worth it?

Something inside him told him that it was worth it. Or it would be.

But Gakuto couldn't see how. He hadn't even been in Australia for a day, and the pieces of his heart were broken into even more pieces, some of it could be considered _dust_.

That little thing inside him. A small bit of his heart, told him not to give up just yet.

But was he really up to it? Did he have the courage to face Oshitari again?

The small speck told him he did.

And he believed it.

He wanted to believe it.

More than anything.

He wanted to have the courage to even just be friends with Oshitari.

Things didn't feel right without the tensai.

He wanted Oshitari back.

If they were together or not, it didn't really matter anymore.

Without Yuushi, everything just felt so...

Lonely.

* * *

**1. Koishii - **Means 'darling' in Japanese. 

**Author's Note:** Okay, I know that this isn't the greatest chapter in the world. But this is the result of listening to Shishido's version of Valentine Kiss on an endless loop while writing. Every time I write a chapter on my own, I end up listening to a song on an endless loop, last chapter was Eden, Yami no Matsuei's opening theme. Still, this chapter wasn't complete junk, right? It was mostly filler, but some was a tad important...

To all Dirty Pair fans, I sincerely apologize for giving Oshitari a girlfriend. Really, I feel truly terrible. But fear not! She will be gone in a chapter or two, no matter what the final ending is. Also, I have nothing against Australians.

Finally, not even I know the overall ending to this story. So, please, voice your opinions! Do you want them together, or apart? Sad ending, happy ending? Any and all responses will help me finish this fiction.


End file.
